Gin-saw cleaner.



H. J. FITZPATRIGK.

GIN SAW CLEANER;

APPLICATION FILED 21:12.9, 1911.

Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

WITNESSES ATTORNEYS COLUMBIA PLANO\IR APH co; WASHINGTON, D. c.

50 cleaning of the saws,

55 in guideways I attached to the casing A HENRY JACKSON FITZPATRIOK, OF ATHENS, GEORGIA.

GIN-SAW CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24:, 1911.

Application filed February 9, 1911. Serial No. 607,520.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY J ACKSON FITZ- PATRICK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Athens, in the county of Clarke and State of Georgia, have invented a new and Improved Gin-Saw Cleaner, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to cotton gins, and

its object is to provide a new and improved gin saw cleaner, arranged to permit the operator to throw the cleaner into action while the gin is running, with a view to insure complete and quick removal of any 5 lint or extraneous matter that may adhere to the saws. For the purpose mentioned use is made of a revoluble brush for engagement with the saws of the cotton gin, manually controlled means for moving the brush bodily toward and from the saws, driving means for driving the brush from the saws on throwing the brush into active position relative to the saws, and manually-controlled means for shifting the brush in the direction of its axis.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represent-ed in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a cross section of a cotton gin provided with the cleaner for the saws; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal central section of the same on the line 33 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4

1s a perspective View of a portion of the back and bristles of the brush.

On the casing A of the cotton gin is mounted the motor B for feeding the cotton to the saws C, operating in conjunction with E delivering the of my invention, which is essentially in the form of a brush G adapted to be moved in and out of engagement with the saws G and adapted to be shifted in the direction of the axis of the brush so as to insure thorough the brush being driven from the shaft C of the saws, but at a high rate of speed.

The brush G has its shaft G journaled in bearings H, mounted to slide up and down and the said bearings H are provided witli j mitted by the pulleys ends of the shaft G nular grooves G one of which is engaged depending rods H terminating at their lower ends in angular lugs H engaging the fork ends J of arms J attached to a rock shaft K, journaled in the lower portion of the casing A. One outer end of the rock shaft K is provided with an operating arm L connected with a handled link N, normally resting on a pin N attached to one side of the casing A, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2. Normally, the brush G is in a lowermost position immediately below the bottom of the saws C, as plainly indicated in Figs. 1 and and when it is desired to move the brush 1n engagement with the saws C then the operator pulls on the link N a swinging motion to the operating arm L, which latter rocks the shaft K, and causes the lifting arms J to lift the rods H and the bearings H, thus bodily raising the brush G so as to move the same in engagement with the saws C.

On one outer end of the shaft G of the brush G is secured a small pulley 0 adapted to move in frictional contact with a larger pulley P secured on the shaft G carrying the saws C, so that when the gin is running and the brush G is lifted, as previously explained, then the small pulley 0 moves in frictional engagement with the rotating pulley P so that a rotary motion is trans- P and O to the brush G. During the time the brush G is in engagement with the saws C, it is desirable to shift the brush G in the direction of its axis, so as to insure firm contact of the brush with the saws C, and for this purpose the are provided with anso as to impart at the time by a shifting lever Q, loosely fulcrumed on a bracket Q attached to the corresponding side of the casing A. Thus when the operator manipulates the lever Q,

the shaft G and with it the brush G are moved in an axial direction.

The brush G is preferably formed with a backing, in the form of a strip G of leather or other flexible material, and on the said strip G are secured the bristles G and the strip G is wound spirally on the shaft G so that the bristles G extend radially and the ends of the strip G are secured to the shaft G by suitable fastening devices It in the form of collars or the like.

The operation is as follows: When the several parts are in the position illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, then the revoluble brush oughly G is a distance below the bottom of the saws C, and the gin is now used in the usual manner for ginning the cotton. Vhen it is desired to clean the saws C while the gin is running, the operator takes hold of the link N and manipulates the same as previously explained to lift the brush G into contact with the saws C, and at the same time the operator manipulates the shifting lever Q so as to impart movement to the brush G in an axial direction to cause the bristles Gr to engage both faces of the saws so as to thorclean the same of lint or extraneous matter that may adhere to the saws. It is understood that during the cleaning opera tion the feeding of the cotton is suspended for the time being, but after the saws are cleaned the operator returns the link N to normal position so that the brush G drops down to inactive position below the saws C.

The cleaning attachment shown and described is very simple and durable in construction and can be readily applied to cotton gins now in use.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A cleaning attachment for cotton gins, comprising a revoluble brush for engagement with the saws of the cotton gin, bearings in which the shaft of said brush is mounted to turn and to slide in the direction of its axis, vertically arranged guideways in which the said bearings are mounted to slide, a rock shaft having lifting arms, rods depending from the said bearings, pin and slot connections between the said rods and the said lifting arms for moving the bearings and the brush toward or from the saws on rocking the said shaft, an operating arm on the said rock shaft, driving means for driving the brush from the saws on moving the brush into engagement with the saws and manually controlled means for shifting the brush in the direction of its axis.

2. A cleaning attachment for cotton gins, comprising a revoluble brush for engagement with the saws of the cotton gin, and

normally held in inactive position below the saws, bearings in which the said brush is mounted to turn and to slide in the direction of its axis, vertically arranged guideways for the said bearings to slide in, a rock shaft having lifting arms provided with fork ends,

rods depending from the said bearings and terminating at their lower ends in angular lugs engaging the fork ends of the said arms for moving the bearings and the brush toward or from the saws, an operating arm on the said rock shaft, a handled link connected with the said operating arm, and pulleys on the said brush and the arbor of the said saw, the brush pulley being adapted to mesh with the arbor pulley when the brush is moved upward into engagement with the saws.

3. A cleaning attachment for cotton gins, comprising a revoluble brush for engagement with the saws of the cotton gin, bearings in which the said brush is mounted to turn and to slide in the direction of its axis, vertical guideways attached to the casing and in which the said bearings are mounted to slide, a rock shaft journaled in the lower portion of the casing and having lifting arms provided with fork ends, rods depending from the said bearings and terminating at their lower ends in angular lugs engaging the fork ends of the said arms for moving the bearings and the brush toward or from the saws, an operating arm on one end of the said rock shaft, a handled link connected with the end of said operating arm, a stop on which said link normally rests, pulleys on the said brush and the arbor of the said saw, the brush pulley being adapted to mesh with the arbor pulley, and a shifting lever connected with the said brush to move the latter in the direction of its axis.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY JACKSON FITZPATRICK.

Vitnesses J. ToURHY, F. O. SI-IAOKELFORD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the FGommissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

